


Simple (Like Quantum Physics)

by stardustlings (kas2umi)



Category: DBSK | Tohoshinki | TVfXQ | TVXQ, JYJ (Band)
Genre: Alternate Universe - College/University, Alternate Universe - Soulmates, Bad Pick-Up Lines, Feels, Light Angst, M/M, The Author Regrets Nothing, Tooth-Rotting Fluff
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-06-13
Updated: 2018-06-13
Packaged: 2019-05-17 16:00:34
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,259
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14835410
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/kas2umi/pseuds/stardustlings
Summary: In which Jaejoong can't take the awful to god pick-up lines that undergrad is throwing his way and Yunho can't stop thinking about how his TA's smile is that kind that starts real slow and makes you fall real fast. They find each other along the line.





	Simple (Like Quantum Physics)

**Author's Note:**

  * Inspired by [Stardust](https://archiveofourown.org/external_works/388175) by kas2umi. 
  * In response to a prompt by [kas2umi](https://archiveofourown.org/users/kas2umi/pseuds/kas2umi) in the [automix2018](https://archiveofourown.org/collections/automix2018) collection. 



>   
>  **_(a short note)_ **   
>    
>  _written for the 2018 round of kfic_automix as a remix of my ultimately favorite work ever (that fic is my one and only baby). also, i wanna thank our little beekeeping squad for cheers and in-depth conversations about Tom Holland and the MCU ♡_   
>    
>  _let this be my contribution to the the yunjae ficdom for the #610YunJae11thAnni day ♡_   
>    
>  _title, summary and heartfelt lines overall inspired by **r.m.broderick**._

**I.**

Kim Jaejoong, at the age of 24, never believed all that soulmate crap everyone around him seemed to have been obsessed with. He couldn't quite understand what was so special about falling for someone without having any say in it - he might as well give up all of his free will if that happens one day.

Ever since he was a kid he’d hear the stories, his parents included, how the world stops - your breath catches and your skin tingles. It’s an electrifying feeling, as his mother used to describe it, “Unlike anything you’ve ever felt, anything you’ll ever feel.” Jaejoong, honest to God, loved his mother, but that was pure brainwashed bullshit.

What he could believe, on the other hand, was the audacity and rude ass of a certain Jung Yunho.

-

“C’mon Jaejoong, I know you like my jokes. They’re funny, dubious and at times over the top but you like them!”

Jaejoong slumped his shoulders with a sigh. “For the nth time Mr. Jung, don’t call me Jaejoong. You and I are not pals, I am your goddamn TA.”

“You’re like what, a month older than me?” Yunho beamed at the TA, amusement crinkling in his eyes. When Jaejoong reacted by slumping further Yunho rushed to apologize. “Okay, I’m sorry. I will address you properly from now on.”

Jaejoong watched him sceptically. “Great. That’s _very_ nice of you.”

Yunho rose his eyebrows. “Oh, trust me Mr. Kim, the _nicest_ part of me is covered up.”

Jaejoong felt himself blushing before the undergrad was even away from his desk.

-

Jung Yunho hated physics. When his brother asked him if he was crazy when he decided to study that for 4+ years at a college that was way out of his league both financially and intellect wise, he just shrugged at the question and replied with _‘people can change Min’_. The truth was, people didn’t change that drastically, and Yunho knew that very well. What changed was the fact that he had felt it.

And if he worked his ass off to make it happen, it was his choice.

And even today, he didn’t hate physics any less, but Yunho had learned to appreciate the beauty and science behind it.

It had nothing to do with his now TA, of course not. He’s been repeating that to himself the past few years. Even if he himself didn’t believe a single word of that sentence.

-

During his exhausting career as a student Yunho learned that gravity is indeed a powerful force. Especially if that gravity goes by the name of Kim Jaejoong.

-

“Okay everyone, that’s it for today. Please don’t forget to hand in your sign-ups for the trip to the observatory. We’ll be watching the meteor shower and have some experiments as well.”

Yunho faked a cough to get the TA’s attention as he approached his desk. “Morning Mr. Jung, what, no obscene jokes today? No _‘i wanna bang my TA’_ shirt?”

“Jaejoong, if that’s the issue, all you gotta do is ask nicely.” Yunho winked at the gaping Jaejoong. “Anyway, looking forward to spending those four days at the observatory with you.”

It was one of those rare moment when Jaejoong couldn’t find words to retor back with as he just stared after Yunho’s retreating back.

-

"Mr. Kim, do you play Pokemon GO?"

Jaejoong looked at the undergrad as if he had grown an extra head. "What? Why, no."

"Because I want to throw my balls at yo-"

"JUNG YUNHO WHAT IS WRONG WITH YOU?!?!"

-

Yoochun, the chem TA, was not having any of Jaejoong’s crap.

“Oh come on! Are you trying to tell me that it’s not flattering to have a handsome student _your own age_ going after you?”

“First of all, he is not going after me!” Jaejoong puffed his cheeks in annoyance. “He’s messing around and I swear it’s all just to get in my good graces or something, simply for the grade.” Yoochun eyed him sceptically. “And second, he’s an annoying, obnoxious brat. Did you know he actually _hates_ astrophysics?? Like this is some kind of joke to him.”

“No I didn't know that and I won’t ask you how is it that you know that but-” He raised his forefinger to silence Jaejoong. “I think your excuses are a bunch of crap and that you should go for it. Destress your bust before it combusts, you get me?”

Jaejoong scrunched up his face at the implications. “Whatever, go destress with that bubbly soulmate of yours.”

At the mention of Junsu, Yoochun’s eyes glazed over and his lips curled into a smile. Jaejoong hated it. Hated the fact that one day he too might fall pray to the soulmate bullshit. But most of all, he hated that his own eyes never held that look before.

-

Jung Yunho believed in soulmates. He’d seen enough proof during the course of his life to know it was real - whatever the chemical or emotional bond existed there, it was real. And while he’s been eager his whole life to find that other half, to have it happen like in the movies, for the past year and a half Yunho had been nothing but scared.

Each time he’d feel that tingling sensation while walking past someone new he was afraid that was _it_ , it’s them.

And it hurt each time; the possibility of falling for someone other than Kim Jaejoong.

His mind was a mess, confused and almost scared of the words that he's been trying to say for the past two hours of the alpha decay revision with the TA.

Jaejoong was as obvious as always; head lowered and marking the exercises Yunho had done previously.

"Jaejoong?" The undergrad asked quietly.

Lifting his head the Jaejoong locked gazes with Yunho.

"Mr. Jung," he began, "If this is another one of those inappropriate jokes I swear -" He was cut off as Yunho leaned over the table and a finger was softly pressed against his lips motioning silence.

Jaejoong's heart flipped in a strange way.

"I think I'm in love with you."

-

Jaejoong was lost.

Yunho attended classes as if nothing happened, as if he didn’t dump those words on him and just walked away after the TA failed to utter anything coherent in response.

He didn’t know what to think. And then there were notes. Oh God, the notes.

_‘Jaejoong, i know i stepped over that line you’ve placed between us the other day, and as much as i am - i can’t say i’m sorry. It’s not infatuation, or a childish game i’m trying to play here. My feelings or you are genuine and i hope you’ll be able to reciprocate them. If not now, one day. If not even then, i’d be okay with just being a ‘what if’ in your mind._

_Sincerely,_  
_Yunho.’_

-

“Jaejoong this is good why are you acting like this?? This is your chance! I know you like him!”

Jaejoong sighed. “Yoochun... it’s not that simple, okay? He makes it look like it’s all flowers and butterflies and that it’s love, but it’s not, I know it’s not. How could it be if one day he’ll look at someone and in a unique way they’ll recognize each other as soulmates and-”

“Whoa wait. That’s what you’re worried about? That one day he’ll just look at someone else and say ‘well it’s been nice and all but my one and only is here, gotta go’?”

“That is exactly what’s going to happen Chun. We should just spare each other the heartache.”

“You are really dumb, you know that?”

“Oh fuck off.”

-

With each day that passed with Jaejoong pretending like nothing even happened, like he didn’t pour his heart out to him only a few days ago, Yunho felt his heart slowly breaking apart.

Maybe that was the reason he had started re-reading books about gravity.

He needed something to pull him back together.

-

It wasn’t healthy, that much he knew.

Jaejoong would glance at the other man when the undergrad wasn’t paying attention and something tugged at his chest. Yunho looked tired most of the time now. That signature smile was now gone from his face and Jaejoong felt guilty.

The semester was almost over, but he couldn't wait. He couldn’t allow himself to do something stupid they would both regret when _the time_ came.

Jaejoong accepted the offer in the field of experimental physics.

Yunho missed the trip to the observatory.

Another note was left unread.

 

 

 

**II.**

Jaejoong is 28 years of age when he runs into Yunho again, his arms dropping 57 pages worth of research on positron particles.

Yunho didn’t look a day older than the last time he attended one of his classes except the fact that his whole face was back into that permanent fixture of _smile smile smil_ e and Jaejoong felt like something took his breath away.

That night he couldn’t help but think if Yunho had found that someone, the one, was that the reason he’d been smiling so brightly as they picked up Jaejoong’s papers from the floor.

The email notification that broke his thoughts proved something that scared him more.

_‘I want you. Still as hard as those years ago, if not even stronger. Jaejoong, I’ve named afternoons after you, to give my days some meaning. Please, go out with me._

_With love,_  
_Yunho.’_

-

There were days when Jaejoong thought Yunho was far more scared than he was. He would smile and thrown his awful-to-god pickup lines, but at moments he would just stop - talking, moving - and stare at him for a minute or so.

Jaejoong wanted to know what his thoughts were during those moments.

His own never changed.

_‘What if we break each other? Would that be worth it?’_

-

“Undergrad me would have probably combusted if he knew we would be having coffee on a Saturday morning one day.”

Jaejoong laughed. “It’s coffee. Don’t make such a big deal out of it.”

Yunho raised his eyebrows feigning innocence. “Oh is that so? This is not like an official reply to my email?

Jaejoong couldn't help but blush. “No, it isn’t.”

“Okay, if you say so.”

-

“We shouldn’t be doing this.”

Jaejoong had Yunho pressed against the wall, his palms splayed across the man’s chest. Their faces were so close Yunho could feel the intake of breath as Jaejoong tried to catch some air, probably to clear his mind. Yunho needed oxygen as well. Volumes of it.

“We should.”

He dropped his arm’s to Jaejoong’s sides settling on the man’s waist. A gasp from Jaejoong was all it took him to pull their bodies flush against each other.

“We should?”

Jaejoong hated how uncertain and insecure he must have sounded. He hated that he didn’t want to get hurt which he knew was inevitable at some point in the future. But what he hated more was the fact that he wanted it all, selfishly and wholeheartedly. No matter who ended up bleeding first.

“We should.”

Yunho’s voice was calmer than his own but it mirrored the same fears. Jaejoong knew - if Yunho was ready to pay the price when the time came, who was he to chicken out? He pressed in until his chest were against Yunho’s, their lips brushing.

“Yeah, we should.”

-

Dating was a whole new experience. Not that Jaejoong never dated before. it was just that dating Jung Yunho was a rollercoaster of many things. One of them being Yunho’s cheesy and romantic self. Jaejoong _hated_ it.

"We should go stargazing tonight." Yunho spoke with a grin on his face.

"Stargazing?" Jaejoong stopped writing and looked up to meet his gaze.

"Yeah! We bring a blanket, some sandwiches, cheap beer or wine and just have a little fun out in the open."

“Fun?” Jaejoong was laughing now.

Yunho silenced him by pressing his lips against his boyfriend's ear and whispered. "Can we make love under the stars?"

-

“Okay okay, how about this?” Jaejoong had tears in his eyes from laughing too much and Yunho just kept on talking.

“Here it goes, okay? Ahem. _‘My body has become a sanctuary-’_ Jaejoong stop laughing! _‘My body has become a sanctuary for the butterflies that you give me.’_ ”

Yunho had on that stupid self conscious smile on his face, eyes crinkling at the edges. The tone of his voice was half-playful but his expression conveyed nothing but seriousness and Jaejoong stopped laughing. “I love you.”

He knew he was crossing a line he could never walk back on but at that moment, the two of them sprawled in the shade of the oak tree as the spring breeze brushed against their bodies, Jaejoong didn’t care.

“It was about time you admitted.”

Everything was going to be okay.

-

It took a while for Jaejoong to get adjusted to living with someone else. Especially if that someone else was your freshly-baked boyfriend who had no tact for personal space and boundaries.

“Yunho you can’t keep walking around the apartment naked! For God’s sake put some clothes on, we’re not cavemen.”

“Why?” Yunho made a show of walking towards the kitchen counter and Jaejoong diverted his eyes towards the bowl of fruit on it. “Making you nervous? Or am I too distracting for you?”

“I’m not a virginal schoolgirl to get distracted that easy, I have the same anatomy as you do - it’s nothing I haven’t seen before.” He scoffed at the naked man. Yunho laughed, his abdominal muscles contracting and Jaejoong had to fight himself mentally not to stare. Screw that, he was a virginal schoolgirl that’s easy to distract. Well, minus the virginal schoolgirl part.

“I wish we were cavemen. I could just grunt, throw you over my shoulder and take you to an abandoned hut to fuck your brains out.” Jaejoong gulped. He definitely did feel like a virgin with Yunho, most of the times.

“As if you don’t do the same in that den of a place you’ve turned our room into. Now please, put some clothes on. I seriously need to finish this paper tonight.”

Yunho blew him a kiss over the counter. “That won’t be the only thing you’ll be finishing tonight, I promise you.”

“Could you stop with the sex jokes and innuendos?”

“Not a chance baby.”

-

“This is the last time we shower together I swear to God!”

“Baby, it’s not my fault you dropped the soap and I just kind of slipped and -”

“Yeah, let’s blame it on the soap. On motherfucking _soap_ Yunho!”

-

"Baby, how about I catch the Phi Cassiopeiids meteor shower with my bare hands and spill it all over your body and skin so you can radiate beauty for an eternity?"

Jaejoong's heart fluttered. He could never stay mad at Yunho for more than five minutes. _'Damn you,'_ he mused in his head. Turning around he cupped Yunho's face and inched closer.

"How can I not let you do inappropriate things to me Jung Yunho with that sweet mouth of yours," Jaejoong kissed him briefly barely even pressing in.

Picking him up, Yunho smiled at him.

"Does that mean we get to shower together again?"

Jaejoong laughed.

-

They never talked about soulmates. It was an unspoken rule they both held onto for dear life yet Jaejoong could see the wheels turning inside Yunho’s mind each time they’d start talking about ‘when’ and ‘what if’s.

Jaejoong was frightened.

A Soulmate was something that you couldn’t just reject when all of your body and emotions are screaming to you that _‘we’ve finally found meaning in life’_. But what scared Jaejoong more was that fifty percent chance of him meeting his own Soulmate first and leaving Yunho behind, crushed.

“Would you let me go?”

Yunho looked up from where he was resting his head on Jaejoong’s chest. “Hm?”

“If I find _them_ before you do, would- will you let me go?”

Yunho sat up, his eyebrows furrowed in confusion and anger. “No. Absolutely fucking not. I love you Jaejoong, i’m not just gonna step aside become of some predetermined notion that there’s only one person that will fit your own half.”

Jaejoong dropped his gaze in embarrassment as Yunho threaded his fingers through his hair. “Hey, look at me. Look at me Jaejoong.” Yunho’s eyes were warmer now, his lips curled into a soft smile. “I love you. And you love me. We don’t need anything or anyone else to tell us how to live our lives.”

Jaejoong was desperate as he brought their faces together, Yunho’s body falling on top of his own.

“I wouldn’t let you go either.”

They rarely had sex because it was always _‘lovemaking baby’_ to Yunho, but that night, Jaejoong was lost.

And losing himself he pulled Yunho under.

-

“You know my mom actually spoke the words my dad’s Soulmate tattoo was written in? They kinda both freaked out for a moment there because his tattoo was somewhere near his hip bone, like an inch long.”

“Wow, that’s nuts.” Jaejoong gaped at Yunho. “I still manage to get surprised by the ways people find their soulmates. Like couldn’t there have been a universal rule for all?”

Yunho laughed. “I guess that’s what makes it so personal and individual, you know? As many Soulmates there are in the world there’s many different ways they find each other.”

“I think ours would’ve probably been something stupid, like one of your pickup jokes.” He smiled at Yunho.

“I kinda like that idea. Or let’s just tattoo something on our buts, like _NOTHING SENSE WE’RE_ on my left buttcheek and _MAKES WHEN APART_ on your right one.”

Jaejoong laughed until tears fell down his cheeks. “Times New Roman, 18?”

“Baby, I’m a Calibri guy.”

 

 

 

**III.**

“You know, we could have been enjoying this moment all those years ago but you decided to ditch and work somewhere away from me.”

Jaejoong kissed him lazily, his lips sliding against the other’s in a gentle but still as hungry way as when they were in their twenties. He was stradling Yunho’s lap as they sat, only a thin blanket separating them from the cold concrete of the observatory floor. “We should dye your hair.”

His reply made Yunho laugh into the kiss and Jaejoong groaned. “Okay okay, I admit. I was wrong. But we’re here now and we’ll finally catch that meteor shower. Or not. Depends on how well _Princess_ is feeling tonight.”

Yunho grabbed his hips to pull him off but Jaejoong circled his arms around his neck, lips coming to rest against the man’s throat. “Jaejoong you need to stop calling my dick Princess, it’s seriously killing the mood.”

Jaejoong hugged him with all his might. “I can’t, it’s Princess for me. Ever since you had that _dry_ period I was scared out of my mind and I realized I needed to become more affectionate towards it, you know? Like with actuall words not just blowj-”

“Are you seriously going to be talking to my dick? Like some weird fetish psychotherapy?”

Looking up Jaejoong stared at his face for a few moments before speaking again. “I seriously think we should dye your hair. Grayish looks good on you but black - gah, black becomes you.”

Yunho gave up. It’s been a weird lifetime so tonight shouldn’t be any different. “You’re just jealous.” He teased kissing Jaejoong’s hair.

“Me? Jealous? Of what?”

“Of time. Of us getting old. Of my not-so-black-anymore hair.”

Jaejoong slumped in his embrace. “Time sucks.”

Yunho knew that all too well. “It does baby, it does.”

-

“Wanna go skinny dipping tonight?” Yunho had his brightest smile as he cornered Jaejoong in his office. The older man backed against the bookcase and looked at the door with an alarmed expression.

“Yunho you can’t keep molesting me in my office. At our workplace!”

“Shut it, I know it’s a kink of yours. A random student, either yours or mine walking in on us-”

“Jung Yunho!!”

“They would really get a nice presentation on how the F=ma equation works.”

“You’re shameless.”

“No, i’m yours.”

-

“Oh come on Yunho! You know that Tempel–Tuttle fits the classical definition of a Halley-type comet as it’s-”

“Period is more than 20 and less than 200 years, I know Jaejoong. Remember we went to the same university and majored in the same field? This old age of yours I swear.”

“Who the fuck you’re calling old you _sorry-i-cant-get-my-dick-up_ mister!?”

“Seriously Jaejoong?? Dicks again??”

-

“Do you think we’re past that age of finding _them_?” Jaejoong asked quietly, almost unsure if he wanted to ask that question.

“I don’t know.” Yunho hugged him close. It was one of those nights when fear would sneak into their shared bed, and Yunho understood. “But what I know is that I love you. You know that?”

“I know. I love you too, did you know that?” Yunho laughed and Jaejoong giggled.

It was not one of the best days or nights, but everything was going to be okay.

-

“I think we have half an hour-” Jaejoong looked at his watch. “Yep, half an hour before it hits off than another hour before the peak. Wanna do something before then?”

Yunho mirrored his own glazed look. His body reacted before his tongue could and he flipped them over until Jaejoong let out as gasp.

“What do you say we show these stars the glory of your naked body?”

Jaejoong threw his head back in laughter.

“Damn baby are you wine? ‘Cause I love the wonders time has done to you.”

Yunho knew the kiss that followed was no different than the previous thousand they’ve shared, but he felt something _new_ tugging at his heart. Perhaps it was like a supernova of emotions. Jaejoong was more than capable of doing that to him.

-

“Okay sooo, ZicZic or Fluffball?”

“Jaejoong, for the hundredth time, we’re not getting a dog.”

-

The dome was cold. November, while it has been pretty warm the past few days took a turn in the right direction and Jaejoong just hoped it wouldn't rain. He was breathing heavily, back against the floor and Yunho’s hand in his.

The roof of the observatory was pulled down, a hemisphere of night sky and lights looking like a beautiful canvas. They sighed in sync.

“I’m sorry I couldn’t give you a promise of forever. That each new day was the two of us holding back as if on borrowed time only neither of us were going anywhere. It hurt.”

“I know baby.” Jaejoong squeezed his palm.

-

“What else?” Jaejoong’s smile was blinding.

“I, like your eyes when you smile.”

“That’s not fair, I was about to say the same for you.”

“Hey, it can work for both of us. We’re that handsome.”

“Oh shut up.” He smacked Yunho’s head. The water was warm, the confines of their bathtub keeping them flush together.

“So how many things were those? Nine?” Yunho kissed his shoulder.

“Yep, 91 more to go.”

Yunho chuckled. “I like the way you look at me when you think i’m not paying attention.”

Jaejoong blushed.

“Next.”

-

“This is really gorgeous.”

The Leonids meteor shower caught them as they were sharing another one of those lazy kisses, Yunho catching a falling fragment with the corner of his eye. “It’s more than gorgeous. I really can’t believe we missed it back then, for real now.”

“But we get to enjoy it now.” Jaejoong ran his fingers through Yunho’s hard, stopping to catch a gray strand in between the tips.

“I’ll dye my hair if that’ll make you happy.”

“No, I kinda fell in love with it tonight.”

Their eyes locked, smiles mirrored each other and as the meteor shower reached its peak, they felt _it._

It was Jaejoong who gasped first, his fingers trembling in Yunho’s hair. He felt it was weird to think of his mother at that moment but all he could see, hear, _feel_ were those words from back then.

_‘Unlike anything you’ve ever felt, anything you’ll ever feel.’_

And Jaejoong laughed through the tears as Yunho’s blown pupils stared right at him.

The man reached for the hand in his hair, both trembling as their fingers locked.

Yunho wanted to cry. Wanted to scream at everything, at the universe for being so cruel and merciful at the same time, at Jaejoong. But all he could muster was a broken out _‘I love you with my whole being’_ before Jaejoong’s lips were on his and their chests were pressed so close Yunho thought he would combust. Yet, all he wanted was more.

That meteor shower they missed when they were 24 was in full bloom.

The meteor shower whose parent body is the Tempel–Tuttle comet that fits the classical definition of a Halley-type comet as its orbital period is more than 20 and less than 200 years and is exactly 33 years.

It was a thousand of wishes. Or maybe just a hundred.

But neither cared.

 

 

 

**IV.**

Kim Jaejoong and Jung Yunho, at the age of 57, have been in love for almost a full orbital period of a significant celestial body before they recognized each other as _Soulmates_.

 

_The first time I saw you -_  
_I froze._  
_Like thousands of iced butterflies landed on my skin._

_My fingers itched for a touch._  
_Just with their tips,_  
_I had to see if you were real._

_So I chased after you._  
_And the moment I touched the skin of your hands -_  
_Those butterflies burst into life._

_The first time I saw you -_  
_I froze._  
_Because I had a feeling you were my Heaven._

 

-


End file.
